The Fairest preps for the Oscars!

It’s Oscar weekend, and we at The Fairest HQ are all abuzz over the big show. (Who do you think’s going to win? Our money’s on Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker.) Of course, while the awards are fun, what we really salivate over is all the red carpet glamour: this is Hollywood at its finest! While few of us might ever experience the Academy Awards inside the Kodak theater, we’re still determined to look just as glowy and gorgeous as any of the nominees.

To that end: congratulations to Caity88, winner of last week’s Sue Devitt giveaway! Caity’s bathroom just got a lot more chockablock (we hope you don’t have roommates), since she won all of the following!

Ready for this week’s giveaway? We’ve partnered with Paul Mitchell (Happy 30th Birthday, PM!) to bring one reader of The Fairest an entirely new hair care wardrobe worth over $100! One lucky North American winner (that’s right, ladies in Canada and Mexico—you’re eligible, too!) will receive a collection of Paul Mitchell’s latest and greatest, including:

To enter, simply comment below with the name of your favorite hair brand. Good luck!

DISCOUNTS FOR THE FAIREST READERS

We’re always on the hunt for cool new websites, so we flipped when we discovered Lock and Mane, an online boutique dedicated to the best high end hair care. Featured brands include Mason Pearson, Oscar Blandi, Rene Furterer, T3, Terax and Ted Gibson, and the site also has a fun, trend-spotting blog. Want your own hair to look sexy and fabulous? (Um, is the sky blue?) We’re here to help! All readers of The Fairest will receive 20% off when shopping at Lock and Mane. Just enter discount code thefairest at checkout.

And just because one is never enough, we’ve also got our makeup lovers in mind! ShopPrep.com is a new boutique that features great makeup brands like DuWop, Becca, Paul & Joe, Stila and theBalm. Exclusively for readers of The Fairest, they’ve offered a 25% discount when shopping at ShopPrep.com. Just enter discount code THEFAIREST (in all caps) at checkout.

Phew! We’re exhausted from all that beauty beneficence!

THE LATEST LAUNCHES

Meanwhile, so you can keep your beauty cabinets stocked, we’ll be doing regular roundups of the latest beauty launches. Here’s what’s new at your local beauty emporium:

Keep an eye out next Friday for the winner of the Paul Mitchell giveaway, your chance to win another fabulous haul of beauty loot, as well as an Oscar beauty roundup with tips and tricks on how to recreate the best looks of the night.
Love in lipgloss!

Nadine Jolie
Editorial Director“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” — Kahlil Gibran

As the daughter of a hairdresser, I’ve always been a Paul Mitchell fan for the quality of their product as well as the price point. If money is no object, however, give this girl a big bottle of Pureology’s Nanoworks shampoo and conditioner – that stuff changed my life!

My favorite brand is hard to choose.. I have many but I will tell you that one that is uber amazing and transforming.. I love, love, love Kerastase product.. It works so well on my color-treated, flat ironed and blow dried doo.. It never lets me down!

My favorite is Paul Mitchell natural elixirs. All natural products that smell great and work well with all hair types and color-treated hair.
I’m also a big fan of the Nioxin scalp therapy conditioner.

I’m a fan of Paul Mitchell Skinny, Tigi S Factor and Living Proof — all used in rotation depending on the weather and humidity. Living Proof is very unique and does not use silicone to coat the hair; Paul Mitchell is my standby alternate, especially their styling products.

I never put the same product in my hair for more than a week or two at a time, and I don’t find in one brand all the (effective) products I am looking for to manage my thick and unruly hair but here are some of my favs: Moroccan Oil treatments and conditioners, Sebastian Texturizer and Potion 9, Paul Mitchell gloss drops and Matrix shampoos. Still looking for that miracle product that can keep my hair from turning into a bouffant by the end of the day. Recommendations are most welcome!

Hi there. Cibu offers really great products for curly, unruly hair that is part of their Spring Roll Line. I have almost each one of their products from their site and have offered a review of many of them on my youtube channel. If you have any questions about any of the products, I would be happy to let you know as I do have my faves. There is a hair masque in the Spring Roll Line for curly hair that is really nice even for my hair, but is marketed for curly. Makes my hair feel like silk. You can use PHO2ADORE at checkout for a free mini hairspray that I will never be able to be without. The reasons are in my reviews, but I hope that helps. Have a great weekend:) My YT channel is macface2adore.

Avalon Organics B complex for thinning hair…I am 45 and was getting thin, and I have ALWAYS had split end no matter what I use. So I’ve been on this formula for 1/2 a year…getting thicker but still have split ends!

I aqm currently using WEN and I love how it makes my hair so silky and easy to manage. Sometimes I feel a little buildup and my hair needs a good washing with a regular shampoo but then back to WEN and the results are great! But I am always open to trying new things and improving on what I have found!

I have extremely thick, bushy, wavy curly hair that I try to hide if at all possibly by straightening it. I’m currently using Herbal Essence’s straight forumla. It smells great, leaves my hair shiny, smooth, and free of frizz, whether it is curly or flat-ironed. There is no heavy residue, and I absolutely love it!

My sister is a hairstylist and introduced me to Bumble and Bumble, I absolutely love all of the BB products! I have naturally curly hair so the BB Straight works great to smooth and prep my hair for straightening!

My favorite hair care brand is KMS California. I LOVE the Silk Sheen deep conditioner for my frizzy curly, thick hair. Nothing has topped this conditioner & I’ve gone through just about every brand that is from drugstores & salons! I have male strangers just striking up conversation cause of my hair! One said it looked like angel hair! The conditioner has subtle glitter in it that clings to my hair even after rinsing it off. I’ve bought 13 containers of it on Ebay since I love a bargain considering this conditioner will set me back major $$$ if I did buy it at the saloon. I was in desperate despair looking for a new conditioner & found it at a salon with the wrong price tag. I only bought one & kicked myself later when I tried it & fell in love with it. Alas I went back looking for more at the same price & of course they no longer had any in stock. Thanks to Ebay I got a good deal on it! Now I have a years supply at nearly 90 percent off!! BTW it is authentic! I know my hair stuff.

I love ABBA (the haircare brand, not the Swedish band). Not only do they use natural, plant-derived ingredients, but they do not test on animals. Most people think that natural hair products are less effective, but not with ABBA! My hair is thick and dry, and their conditioners moisturize my locks without heaviness. The bottles are 100% recyclable and packaging design is modern and minimalistic.

Might I suggest wearing a hairnet to bed and under the shower cap. It was suggested to me by a top rated Aveda stylist and it’s absolutely transformed my frizzy, coarse curly hair. The products can really do their stuff once you don’t touch your hair!

I grew up with Paul Mitchell, Pantene and Redken in our home. As an adult all of those brands followed me into my own marriage. However, for the past six months I have been totally committed to everything Cibu International. I have almost everything from their collection and use different products each days for the different looks I am trying to achieve. However, Paul Mitchell will always be a fave too. I still have their thickening serum and the quick dry.

I like fructis products. My hair’s frizzy now from all the styling and hair dye, but their products really work! It keeps my hair sleek and shiny, but when i want curls, I use their curling mousse before i use my curling iron and my hair turns out bouncy and well.. curly!

I love Redken products, but they don’t love my wallet. I’m having major hair issues with alopecia right now. I would love to try something new. My salon uses Paul Mitchell and I love the way my hair feels and smells when I leave!

I love Paul Mitchell products, we also have Redken, Fekkai, and Bumble & Bumble in our Shower right now but I would have to say that Paul Mitchell has been a staple whereas other brands seem to come and go for us. Thanks so much for offering this, I was very excited to see it was a Brand I really love!

I like a lot of different brands but two I consistently use are Paul Mitchell and Pantene. Paul Mitchell’s Extra Body Sculpting Gel is the ONLY product that keeps my thick curls under control, and believe me, I’ve tried everything! Pantene’s Restoratives line makes my hair soooo soft, love it!

My hair is turning Silver so i am now useing Pantene to bring out the highlights. My hair is fine so a touch of Pantene conditioner does the trick. I’m full time caregiver for my Husband who has Cancer , so, can’t get to the Salon anymore, because of time & money so I’m also cutting my hair. Also stopped coloring my hair. People are always commenting on the natural color & want to know who cuts my hair. Guess I’m doing an OK job. Havn’t been able to buy new products for over a year, winning would make me feel fabulous. Glad i found this site, Thanks, Sharron

I can’t seem to stop using the Bain de Terre sugar and fig scalp scrub every other week. The feeling my hair has after using the scalp scrub is indescribable. It makes my shampoo and conditioner work. I would also say that I will never stop using the Ojon Revitalizing Mist. I spray it on my long hair while its still wet and knot it up in a bun and sleep on it, get up and release super soft waves and I have straight fine hair. It is expensive, you could argue that, but I bought a huge jug from a small business owner in January. Better smelling than anything else around. My daughter and I will use these Paul Mitchell products up! And share with family too!

To be fair…Paul Mitchell is actually my favorite hair care line (even though it’s part of the contest). My mother actually introduced me to it. She is big on hair care ever since she went through chemotherapy and lost her hair. That effected her in a way that she wasn’t expecting. Once she regained her hair, her eyes went straight to Paul Mitchell; from hair care to pet care (shampoo’s and wipes for pets, it’s the most amazing thing if you have pets) she loves Paul Mitchell and because of her, I do too. She has been cancer free for 10 year and has shinny, health hair to boot!!!

Kiss My Face Pure Olive Oil bar soap for “shampoo”… it’s top-rated for safety at the Cosmetics Safety Database! I LOVE my Solia 1-inch flat iron, and I think for special events that the CHI range of spray and styling products works well for a night. I used to love Giovanni shampoo and conditioner too.

I love with Pantene. I’ve tried salon brands and keep going back to my old standby. As far as shampoo goes, I could use a $1 brand and be fine, but I have to use my Pantene Smooth and Sleek conditioner.

-My favorite Wen but money being tight I use Matrix Sleek &Smooth the whole family can use it..But when I need a deep conditioner treatment nothing like olive oil heated up.. I have to use what i can…. Bessings & Good luck to all :)

My current favorite styling product is Maxtrix Smoothing shine milk. I use it as a primer before any other products. My fave shampoo is Paul Mitchells Green Tea line – really helps with dry winter scalp.

My favorite is Giovanni. They have really good ingredients with no dead animals or anything I’m allergic too, Also, they make the ONLY natural conditioner that will actually detangle my hair. And it’s relatively cheap and available in drugstores all over the place.

The L’Oreal Vive line of shampoos and conditioners are good performers for the price. I am currently using the Smooth Vive (in the orange bottles) and have been quite impressed with the results. Fekkai’s protein restructuring mask is everything a deep conditioner should be with a fabulous fragrance.

I am currently enjoying L’Oreal’s Vive shampoos and conditioners. So far, I have used the hydra gloss and the smoothing formulas. The smoothing formula actually does leave my frizz-prone hair smoother and shinier. Fekkai’s protein restructuring mask is everything you would ever hope for in a deep treatment with a very luxe texture and decadent fragrance.

I LOVE Paul Mitchell! I love how the products make my hair feel (especially the Super Skinny Serum, a lot goes a long way!) and I love how using the products makes me feel inside – – it’s fantastic that they are all cruelty free and the company is aware of its impact on the environment. I believe they were the first hair care company to publicly oppose animal testing. Guilt-free hair products make me smile.

I grew up in the beauty pageant-friendly eighties, and my mother used Paul Mitchell hairspray on me from the moment I was able to say “Jessica McClintock for Gunne Sax”. I can spot that black and white packaging a mile away.
My mom passed away a few weeks after I turned thirteen. But, every time I spray a can of Paul Mitchell hairspray, I’m transported back to that time with my mom. I’ll be a lifelong Paul Mitchell fan. I love that smell, and the memories it brings back so much!!!

I started using DevaCurl hair products years ago (after being a product junkie for years and constantly switching to the next bottle down the store shelf), and I have never even looked at another hair product since then. The whole line is phenomenal for curly-haired gals, and the products are so gentle (not to mention great-smelling) that I never worry about drying out or stripping my curls. I also love that the never include sodium laurel sulfate or any other chemically-based ingredient.

I use a coktail – doesn’t that make it sound FUN!!! Everyone LOVES coktails!!! Anyway, not to get off track here – I use Phyto, L’Oreal Professional, Unite, and WEN – but not all at the same time. I am addicted to UNITE styling products – add texture without weight!!! For finishing I add some shine with Bumble and Bumble and hold with UNITE.

My current favorite is Pantene Restoritives. It has made my hair curly, frizzy hair healthy and manageable. Even when it is curly, it is soft. My husband has noticed, too. This from a man who rarely notices when I get a haircut or have just colored my hair. So, for him to notice that my is softer and shinier is a big deal, now he wants to know what conditioner I have been using.

I absolutely Love Bumble and Bumble!!! The products are great and they smell incredible..everything does what it states, just works really well with my hair. As for the drugstore brands, I really like the sulfate free shampoo & conditioner for color treated hair by Loreal..the anti residue shampoo by Neutrogena is awesome as well. Great for removing product build up and I use it a few days before I get my haircolor retouched.

The Frederic Fekkai volumizing line with Baobab extract is the only conditioner that actually plumps and thickens my hair, and the volume lasts until the next time I shampoo. A little pricey, so I use a less expensive shampoo to balance the cost. This conditioner is a secret weapon for anyone with fine or thin hair.

My favorite is the line of shampoos and conditioners made by Toni and Guy – TIGI. The names of the products are cool, and they all smell great and work wonders for my hair. However, I especially love their more high-end S-Factor shampoos and conditioners, although I think my favorite, Color Savvy, may have been discontinued.

I’m still a Paul Mitchell Fan – my mom was a hairstylist in the 70s and 80s, and growing up I always used PM products. Loved the Awapuhi collection, and the Tea Tree shampoo is wonderful. the PM Hairspray got me through my BIG HAIR stage of the 80s as well. Tried and true for me!

I started using a Herbal Essences shampoo for long hair and I’ve noticed a big difference. Not only does my hair feel much healthier but I’ve always loved Herbal Essences unique scents and my hair smells great!

I’ve been switching my products over to natural products. I love the ShiKai Color Reflect mist and go conditioner. I spray it in right after my shower, or on my dry hair, and it leaves it soft, supple and shiney

i know its price but the paul mitchell smoothing serum in the pic above smells devine, feels light and silky on your hair and tames frizz with the added benefit of helping your hair to blow dry quicker (meaning less dryer damage)
its usually the only splurge i will alow myself at the salon when i get my haircut, and i never let myself run out of it.